Sheep Shearing A Changing Tradition
As every year, the beginning of June marked shearing time for our sheep.
Up until about twenty years ago, this was more than just a practical farm task—it was a real celebration. Shepherds from the area, especially Sardinians, would help each other out, gathering to shear their flocks together. The day would end with a big meal, always accompanied by plenty of wine. Around 4 p.m., everyone would head back to their own farms for milking.
A few days later, the group would meet again—sometimes 15 people or more, often with the whole family—to shear the next shepherd’s flock.
This tradition has now disappeared in the Val d’Orcia, probably as a result of the closure of many farms and generational change.
From Tradition to Professional Shearing Crews
Today, shearing is done by professional teams known as “tosini,” who offer their services for a fee. Twenty years ago, the cost was about €1.40 per sheep; today it can reach €2.50, especially when teams are scarce, as during the pandemic years.
Technically, the wool still belongs to the farmer, but its commercial value is so low that it doesn’t even cover the cost of shearing. At Podere Il Casale, we’ve found a useful way to reuse it: we use the wool as mulch in our vegetable garden, where it helps retain soil moisture and prevents evaporation.
The New Zealand Shearers: Shearing Machines in Human Form
This year, as in the past, our shearing team came from New Zealand, made up of Maori shearers. Their work style is consistent, fast, and highly efficient. For them, shearing is a year-round job: they shear in Australia throughout the year, then travel to the United States and Europe, especially to Italy, the UK, and Scandinavia.
It took them just two hours to shear our 200 sheep. Under the right conditions, a team of four can shear up to 2,000 sheep a day, every day, during their two-month stay in Italy.
In the past four years, due to COVID travel restrictions, they weren’t able to come to Europe. During that time, we had teams from Poland, and one year even a shearer from Rieti, a town in central Italy where shearing used to be a common side job for local farmers.
Skill, Technique, and Physical Strain
Electric clippers are now used, and proper technique is essential: the wool must be cut close to the skin—where it’s still clean—without injuring the animal. It’s a task that demands skill, a steady hand, and physical endurance.
A local shepherd working alone might manage to shear 30 sheep in a day—but by the end of it, as they often say, your back and your hands are sore.
